Mosquito FB.40
from the right
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De Havilland had opened an Australian subsidiary in 1927, to act as an agent, dealing mostly with repairs and general support for de Havilland customers. For most of the Second World War this subsidiary concentrated on producing the DH-82 Tiger Moth trainer, de Havilland’s most important aircraft at the start of the war. Late in the war, de Havilland of Australia began to manufacture the Mosquito, producing a total of 212 aircraft of four different types at their Bankstown factory.
FB Mk 40
The FB Mk 40 was identical to the FB Mk VI. Production started in 1944 and ended in June 1948. 209 aircraft were completed of all types, mostly FB Mk 40s.
PR Mk 41
The PR Mk 41 was based on the FB Mk 40, so unusually for reconnaissance Mosquitoes it had the fighter bomber’s solid nose. As was normal for PR Mosquitoes, it was unarmed. The PR Mk 41 carried five cameras – one in the nose, two in the rear fuselage and an oblique camera on each side, again a different configuration to that used in most PR Mosquitoes, and one that took advantage of the solid nose. The PR Mk 41 entered service with No 1 PRU, R.A.A.F. in May 1944. 28 PR Mk 41s were built, seeing most of their service after the war.
FB Mk 42
One FB Mk 40 was used as a prototype of the FB Mk 42, but the type did not enter service. The same aircraft was then used as the prototype PR Mk 41.
T Mk 43
The T MK 43 was a trainer, produced by converting the FB Mk 40 to use dual controls. Twenty two T Mk 43s were produced.